Knowing What Type Of Coop You Need

There are quite a few things to take into consideration when purchasing a chicken coop.  There are several sizes, and types of coops and coop building plans out there to choose from.  Knowing what to choose depends on several different circumstances.

The first stipulation would be where you live.  If you live in an area that gets below freezing, you will want to consider adding insulation to the walls of your coop, and depending on the breed of the chicken, even a heater.  Some chickens are more tolerable to cold weather than others.  On the other hand, you may be located in an area where it tends to get very hot.  In this case, you may want to consider locating your coop in a shaded area and adding extra windows to allow more of a breeze to blow through the coop. You can even add a fan in one window for extra     air flow.  Also you will need to build a fenced in area or chicken run attached to their   coop if you live in an urban area.  This will not be necessary if you are located in a more rural area, unless you have the threat of stray  animals(i.e., dogs or cats) in your area.

Another thing to consider when purchasing a chicken coop would be what you are raising the chickens for.  If you plan on raising egg layers, you want to be sure that you include egg laying boxes in your coop.  Chickens prefer laying in enclosed areas.  If you are raising chickens strictly  for meat, then egg boxes will not be a necessity.  Also, if you are raising chickens for show, then you may want to consider having a coop with a wood floor in it, with or without shavings, to ensure a cleaner environment.  Another reason to have a floor in your coop, would be if the  area you are placing the coop in tends to flood.

Also, no matter what you are raising your chickens for, you want to be sure there is adequate space for them to live comfortably.  If you are raising free-range chickens, then your coop does not need to be as roomy as it would be for enclosed chickens.  A good calculation for a coop size for free-range chickens would be approximately two square feet per bird.  On the other hand, if you are supplying a fenced in area for your chickens, you want to provide a minimum of three square feet per bird in the coop and at least four to five square feet per chicken in the fenced in   area.  If your chickens will be strictly confined to a coop or if you know that you will be  keeping them in the coop for the winter season, then you want to be sure to provide no less than five square feet per chicken.  Keep in mind though, more room is always better.

You also want to decide whether you are going to be building the coop yourself, buying a prefabricated coop or maybe even recyling a shed or old dog house.  Recycling a shed or reusing an old dog house would be the cheapest way to go.  If you are going to do this, just be sure you do what is necessary to make it predator and weather-proof.  If you would rather have a brand new look to your coop, building it yourself or buying a prefabricated one would be the way to go.  Building your own would be the cheaper of the two, although more time consuming.

Consider all of these options before making your decision to be sure you have what is best for you and your chickens.  Now that you have figured out which route you are going to take to owning a chicken coop, it's time to get started!